Packaging pinwheel

ABSTRACT

A carded pinwheel package for displaying multiple units of information about a product packaged attached to the card. A front section has a display opening adapted to display product information located on a pinwheel positioned between the front section and a back section, wherein the pinwheel is rotatably attached to the front section or the back section. Each image can be selectively viewed through the display opening by rotating the pinwheel, and a customer may interactively display each unit of information as desired.

The present invention relates to a carded package for displaying multiple units of information about a product packaged on the card and more particularly to a carded package for displaying multiple units of information about the product packaged on the card, wherein a customer may interactively display each unit of information as desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Small items such as tubes or bottles of adhesive are often displayed using a packaging card that attaches to the product and contains product information such as the product name, manner of use, and price. The product may then be placed on a shelf where the product and the upstanding packaging card are visible to prospective purchasers. Alternatively, a hole may be punched in the packaging card so that the card can be hung from a rod projecting from a vertical panel. In both manners of display, prospective purchasers can easily view both the product and information pertaining thereto. This manner of displaying small items is in widespread use.

The area of the package card that is not obstructed by the attached product is generally used to display information about the product. In particular, with reference to a glue, information is commonly displayed regarding the glue such as the type of glue, e.g. super glue, color, transparent/opaque, indoor/outdoor, setting time and applications for which the glue is designed. Manufacturers would like to provide as much information as possible to potential consumers, and in an attractive format. In order to accomplish this objective, a larger package card may be used, or additional fine print may be added to the card in the unobstructed, viewable area. Neither solution is practical or desirable for providing a large amount of information. A larger package provides more real estate space for attractive and eye-catching information display, but at the expense of increased packaging, shipping and display costs. Providing additional fine print does not incur the drawbacks associated with the larger package card, however, consumers are often disinclined to read fine print, and fine print is certainly not very eye-catching from an advertising point of view.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome these problems, the present invention comprises a packaging card including a front section having a display opening adapted to display product information and a back section attached to the front section. A pinwheel is positioned between the front section and the back section and rotatably attached to the front section and/or the back section. The pinwheel has a plurality of product information image areas arranged in a circular fashion, wherein each image can be selectively viewed through the display opening by rotating the pinwheel.

It is, therefore, a principal objective of the present invention to provide a packaging card for displaying increased units of information related to a product in a visually pleasing manner without increasing the size of the packaging card.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a packaging card that presents units of information related to the product in a consumer-interactive manner.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a packaging card for displaying increased units of information related to a product in a visually pleasing manner at low cost.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof and from the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a frontal inside view of an unfolded packaging card according to the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a frontal view of an advertising pinwheel suitable for use with the packaging card of FIG. 1A; and

FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the card of FIG. 1 in a folded configuration having an attached product.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not for the purpose of limiting same. The present invention comprises a packaging card for interactively displaying multiple units of product information to a consumer through an opening via a pinwheel.

FIGS. 1A-1B show a packaging card 10, in an unfolded configuration, and a pinwheel 12 according to the present invention. The packaging card 10 includes a front section 14 and a back section 16. The front section 14 and the back section 16 are, in this embodiment, connected at a fold line 18. The front section 14 has an opening 20 through which product information may be displayed when the packaging card 10 and the pinwheel 12 are fully assembled. The front section 14 also includes a front support opening 22 which, in the fully assembled state, aligns with a back support opening 24 though which a support rod may be positioned.

In the fully assembled state, the pinwheel 12 occupies an unobstructed, i.e. adhesive free, space between the front section 14 and the back section 16 depicted by the area within the first dashed line 26 and the second dashed line 28, where the front section 14 has been folded over the back section 16 and the pinwheel 12 along the fold line 18. In the fully assembled state, the pinwheel 12 is preferably fastened to the front section 14 with a fastener, e.g. a rivet, through a front section fastener hole and a pinwheel fastener hole 32 located at the center of the pinwheel 12. The front section 14 can be secured to the back section 16 via adhesives, or other means, outside the areas defined by the dashed lines 26 and 28.

In a preferred embodiment, the pinwheel 12 will have a plurality of information images 34 printed on the front surface 36 of the pinwheel 12. Each of the images 34 will be approximately the same shape and size as the display opening 20, and the images 34 will be arranged in a circular fashion on the pinwheel 12 so that each image will be presented, in turn, through the display opening 20 as the pinwheel is rotated about its center. To facilitate ease of rotating the pinwheel 12, the front section 14 includes a cutout 38, and the back section 16 includes a cutout 40, wherein the cutouts provide more gripping area on the exposed portion 42 of the pinwheel 12 as shown in FIG. 2.

The above-described arrangement advantageously expands the amount of information that can presented to a consumer in an attractive and interactive format. For example, with reference to FIG. 2, where a fully assembled package card 10 with an attached product 44 is shown, a consumer can readily grip the pinwheel 12 and interactively view the product information provided in the information images 34 through the display opening 20. This configuration makes it easy to show, for example, multiple uses for the product 44 in a graphical or pictorial form that will catch a consumer's eye, whereas the same information in fine print might go unnoticed.

In the preferred embodiment, the display opening 20 and the images 34 are depicted in a circular shape, however, any shape can be used that fits on the pinwheel. For example, the opening and images can be shaped in the outline of a house if all uses for the product are home related. The display widow 20 can also be elongated along the circular path of the images to accommodate panoramic images. Nor is the location of the display window 20 fixed to the left side of the package card 10. It can be located to either side of the product or above or below the product with equal efficacy.

The pinwheel can be any substantially flat insert. A paperboard or plastic flat disc, octagon or other rotatable shape are all appropriate. The pinwheel may have multiple illustrations visible through the window 20 and corresponding illustrations or text visible at the gripping area exposed portion 42. The pinwheel 12 does not need to be fixed to the card at its center 32. It may be free floating within the confines of the front and the back cover.

In the above-described preferred embodiment, the front section 14 and the back section 16 are described as being connected along a fold line 18. In alternate embodiments, the front section 14 and the back section 16 can be separate pieces that are affixed to each other with adhesives, or by other means, in the fully assembled state. It is also possible to provide the back section 16 with a display opening similar to the front section display opening 20 so that product information images 34 can be provided on both sides of the pinwheel 12 to essentially double the amount of product information that can be displayed. In fact, it is not necessary to have a back section. The back section 16 can be omitted in some embodiments in order to reduce the cost of the packaging, particularly in situations where the package card is suspended on a rod and the consumer would normally only view the front of the package.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. The invention has also been described with respect to several alternate embodiments. These and other variations and modifications of the invention will occur to others upon the reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended that all such variations, alterations and modifications, be included insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. 

1. A packaging card comprising: a front section having a display opening adapted to display product information; a back section attached to the front section; a pinwheel positioned between the front section and the back section and rotatably attached to at least one of the front section and the back section; and said pinwheel having a plurality of product information image areas arranged in a circular fashion, wherein each image can be selectively viewed through said display opening by rotating said pinwheel.
 2. The packaging card as set forth in claim 1, wherein the front section and the back section are each configured with an opening adapted to receive a display rod.
 3. A packaging card comprising: a generally rectangular main body having a first opening adapted to display product information and a second opening adapted to receive a display rod; and a pinwheel rotatably attached to the back of the main body; and said pinwheel having a plurality of product information image areas arranged in a circular fashion, wherein each image can be selectively viewed through said first opening by rotating said pinwheel.
 4. A packaging card for a retail product comprising: a front section having a display opening adapted to display product information; a back section attached to the front section; a disc rotatably retained between the front section and the back section; and said disc having a plurality of product information areas adapted to be selectively viewed through said display opening by rotating said disc.
 5. The packaging card as set both in claim 4, wherein the front section and the back section are each configured with an opening adapted to receive a display rod.
 6. A packaging card comprising: a generally rectangular main body having a first opening adapted to display product information and a second opening adapted to receive a display rod; and a pinwheel rotatably attached to the back of the main body; and said pinwheel having a plurality of product information areas adapted to be selectively viewed through said first opening by rotating said pinwheel.
 7. The packaging card of claim 6, wherein said pinwheel is a flat disc having a circular outer periphery.
 8. A method for packaging a retail product comprising: attaching the retail product to a front section of a packaging card having a display opening adapted to display product information; securing a back section to the front section; and rotatably retaining a disc between the front section and the back section, said disc having a plurality of product information areas adapted to be selectively viewed through said display opening by rotating said disc.
 9. A method for packaging a retail product comprising: creating a packaging card back section, a packaging card front section having an opening and a disc shaped pinwheel adapted to display product information; securing said back section to said front section with said pinwheel rotatably captured between said back section and said front section such that a portion of said pinwheel is visable through said front section opening; and, attaching said retail product to one of said back section and said front section. 